Two injured in crash near Lafayette Bluff Tunnel

Posted on Dec 6, 2017 at 7:40 p.m.

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Two people were injured when their vehicle was struck head-on near the Lafayette Bluff Tunnel on State Highway 61 in Silver Creek Township on Tuesday morning.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported that Julie Christine Lutz, 50, of Rosemount, Minn., was transported to the Hennepin County Medical Center with life-threatening injuries after the southbound Volkswagen Passat she was traveling in was struck by a northbound Chevrolet Silverado that crossed over the centerline. The highway had snowy and icy conditions when the crash occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m., according to the State Patrol

The Hennepin County Medical Center did not have a condition report for Lutz on Tuesday evening.

The driver of the Passat, Jeffery Jude Lutz, 53, of Rosemount, was transported to St. Luke’s hospital in Duluth with what the State Patrol described as non-life-threatening injuries. Joanne Louise Josephson, 51, of Finland, who was driving the Silverado, didn’t report any injuries, according to the State Patrol.

A Dodge Avenger, also traveling southbound on the highway, was unable to avoid the crash and was also struck by the Silverado. Driver Billy Albert Enger Jr., 44, of Cloquet and passengers Drew Isaac Johnson, 32, of Duluth and Grant Nicholas Prentice, 33, of Cloquet did not report any injuries, according to the State Patrol.